Talent scouting for SEA Games to start at PON, says Arie

Talent scouting for SEA Games to start at PON, says Arie

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's failure to win the overall title in
the 1999 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games is a good lesson for the
country to better prepare itself before competing in any regional
multisports events.

In a bid to avoid a humiliating outcome in the 2001 SEA Games
in Kuala Lumpur, vice chairman of the National Sports Council
(KONI) Arie Sudewo said talent scouting for prospective athletes
would start at the 15th National Games (PON) in Surabaya.

Arie said a special team led by KONI's official in charge of
athletes' development Mochammad Hindarto would observe the
scouting process during PON, which runs from next Monday until
June 30.

"Pak Hindarto asked each of the 31 organizations whose sports
are featured in PON to set up special teams to examine their
athletes' form in the event. KONI will coordinate the team," he
told reporters on Tuesday.

"One of the team tasks is to spot any potential and talented
athletes, and not necessarily the medal winners. The team should
be able to see the athletes' ability and that they will play well
when given special training."

Arie said the training program for the SEA Games would start
after the Sydney Olympics, which is being held from Sept. 15 to
Oct. 1. However, KONI has yet to decide on the number of athletes
to attend the training.

"The number of athletes will be based on the budget. We have
estimated that the SEA Games training program will cost about Rp
100 billion (US$11.63 million) and we can only compress it to Rp
70 billion."

Arie said the Malaysian Olympic Committee had yet to issue a
formal decree on the number of sports events to be featured.

For the first time since taking part in the games in 1977,
Indonesia finished in third position, following arch rival
Thailand and Malaysia by taking home 44 gold, 43 silver and 58
bronze medals. The number is far less than its expectation of 70
gold medals in the Games in Brunei Darussalam.

In 1997, Indonesia benefited from hosting the event, claiming
177 of the 440 gold medals at stake in 33 sports events. With
only 21 sports events featured in last year's games, Thailand
reigned supreme with 65 gold, 48 silver and 56 bronze medals
while Malaysia was second with 57 gold, 45 silver and 42 bronze
medals.

KONI blamed the poor result on the short training period of
five months and a shortage of funds which prevented the athletes
from taking part in overseas events.

Speaking about PON, Arie guaranteed that the event would be
opened as scheduled on Monday despite media reports that some
venues were not ready to stage the events.

"The venues which have been reported as unprepared for the
events will be finished on time. We admit that there is some
imperfection, but it's not a big problem. In 1997, when we hosted
the SEA Games, the hockey field was finished on the opening day.
But the show went on smoothly anyway," he said.

He also said that KONI chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar would
brief the referees and judges assigned at PON this weekend to
maintain sportsmanship and objectivity in their judgments. (ivy)